"Denazification"

In justification for Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian propaganda and Russian President Vladimir Putin have claimed that the goal of the "special military operation" is the "denazification" of Ukraine. Russian politicians and media figures have claimed that many or all Ukrainians espouse and support Nazi ideology. Stepan Bandera, a controversial figure from Ukraine’s Soviet past, is often invoked in Russian propaganda of this nature. Some consider him a national hero and freedom fighter, while others label him a fascist, Nazi collaborator, and war criminal. He was assassinated by the KGB in West Germany in 1959. His name and image are often evoked by both sides, albeit with different connotations. Memes about this line of propaganda tend to point out the absurdity of claims about the "denazification" of Ukraine, and some memes will point out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Putin characterizes as a neo-Nazi, is of Jewish heritage.